Farmers hoping for rain

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

A lack of rain across Tairāwhiti is starting to bite for pastoral farmers in some parts of the district and they are hoping for decent falls in the next month.

Drier-than-wanted conditions continue to have an impact on the flush of feed required for stock heading towards winter.

Radio NZ reported the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research’s (Niwa) latest hotspot report showed Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay and Coromandel Peninsula had the driest soils in the North Island in the past week.

That was compared to what was normal for this time of year.

Federated Farmers acting provincial president Toby Williams said many farmers were “hanging out” for decent rain.

“For this time of year, soil moisture levels are as low as they have been for four to five years.

“It’s slowing up the flush of feed ahead of winter.

“It’s nice and warm but drier than most farmers here would like for this time of year,” Mr Williams said.

“South and west of Gisborne city is where it’s most noticeable. Up the East Coast it’s better. It’s not as dry up there.

“We had 30 millimetres at Pihitia Station (Whāngārā) at the weekend. But we probably need about 100 millimetres across the district over the course of the next month.”

Hawke’s Bay Federated Farmers president Jim Galloway told Radio NZ farmers down there needed more rain as well.

“The feed covers are dropping away quite quickly down here and lambs are needing to be shipped off.

“Anything that’s not being kept as capital stock needs to be looked at pretty closely now,” Mr Galloway said.

“The weight gain on ewes going into tupping and mating has been a bit light, so it’s a bit of a struggle at the moment out there.”

Good feed was imperative for cattle farmers in the next few weeks and months, heading into winter, he said.